Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cuidado | /kwiˈdado/ | masculine |
| esmero | /esˈmeɾo/ | masculine |
| primor | /pɾiˈmoɾ/ | masculine |
The most common way to express 'care' as close attention, concern or responsibility is with cuidado. This word can also be used as an exclamation to mean 'beware'. If you want to express the idea of 'to matter' or 'to be important', you might use the verbs importar or interesar. To express the idea of 'to pay attention' (and by extension, showing interest or care), you can use the phrase hacer caso.
Which one should you use?
While cuidado is the general word for care or caution, esmero specifically refers to the care taken in performing a task with great attention to detail or perfection.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the adverbial sense of 'carefully', Spanish uses the prepositional phrase con cuidado. A common idiom meaning 'to be careful' or 'to take care' is tener cuidado, which literally translates to 'to have care'.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwiˈdado/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the noun cuidado (care) with the verb cuidar (to care for/to look after) when translating directly from English.
Did you know?
- In the Philippines, the way cuidado is used to express responsibility is a calque of the Tagalog word bahala.
- Using primor to describe 'care' often implies a physical, tactile beauty or delicacy that cuidado cannot convey.
Examples in context
- Él se había cuidado.He had taken care of himself.This sentence shows the reflexive use of the verb related to cuidado.Tatoeba #489032 by Shishir, translation #301152 by CK
- Cruzá la calle con cuidado.Take care when you cross the street.This sentence uses con cuidado to mean 'carefully'.Tatoeba #1068609 by hayastan, translation #280496 by CK
- Dejo a mi hijo a tu cuidado.I commit my son to your care.This sentence shows how to use cuidado to denote responsibility or charge of someone.Tatoeba #1646133 by wallebot, translation #274419 by CM
- ¡Cuidado con el perro!Careful with the dog!
- Me preocupo por tu salud.I care about your health.
- Me importa lo que te suceda.I care about what happens to you.
- Me importa un pepino lo que piensen los demás.I don't care at all what others think.
- Tienes que tomar en cuenta los sentimientos de los demás.You need to care about other people's feelings.
- Haz caso a tus amigos.Care about/listen to your friends.
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a fragile painting.
- DanielEste cuadro es muy antiguo.This painting is very old.
- MaríaLo sé, requiere mucho cuidado.I know, it requires a lot of care.
- Daniel¿Puedes ayudarme a moverlo?Can you help me move it?
- MaríaSí, pero hazlo con cuidado, Daniel.Yes, but do it with care, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “care” translations and entries cuidado, esmero, primor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuidado, esmero, primor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
